From Paris, with Love

I was invited down to the Chantelle showroom a little while ago and had an opportunity to gush over some of the most gorgeous lingerie I had ever seen. Beautiful colours and designs were on offer for us to try, and being a company I hadn't experienced before, I was eager to explore.

The company, which later became to be known as Chantelle, was founded in 1876. They first started with corsets and have expanded throughout the years to become the most sought after lingerie line from France. It's no surprise as each piece of lingerie is truly a work of art and is made with the softest fabric. It feels nothing but luxurious to those who wear it.

Chantelle collections include bras, pants, shapewear, and they also have a chic boutique with a range of couture pieces, including waist clinchers, chemises, bustlers and garters. You'll be spoilt for choice so I would advise adding a few of these to your Christmas list ;)

Christmas came early for those in attendance as we were gifted a lingerie set of our choice. I couldn't wait to try on the bras and decided that I simply couldn't pass up on this purple Superbe set.

The plunge bra is underwired, extremely comfortable and with the wide band, I feel fully supported. The lace is so silky smooth with zero itch and there has been no sign of abrasion after wearing it almost constantly. The cups are three quarters of the way up and although I feel secure, the bra still allows for a little allure. Bras go from D-H, but there are plans to expand! Exciting times ahead. 

The high waisted briefs aren't shapewear but the elastic certainly holds me in. I'm not one for thongs or anything else of that ilk, I want nothing but full coverage and these briefs do a great job.

I really would encourage you to give Chantelle a try. You can buy from their online store, but you can also head to one of the various department stores, including House of Fraser and Harrods.

'til next time.

Love and hugs,

Isha

xxx

Green Belle

I'm never one to turn down a dress, particularly from a brand I like, so when Pink Clove got in touch to see if I'd like a dress, I couldn't resist this little green number. I'm not usually one for green, but because of that I thought I'd give it a try in this lovely swing dress design. I guess you could call this a summer dress, but Autumn has been so warm for the most part so there was no need to throw on a pair of ankle boots, but instead I went for my favourite flats from Simply Be.

Dress: Gifted (via Pink Clove)

Cardigan: South (via Very)^

Leggings: South (via Very)

Shoes: Simply Be

From previous experience with Pink Clove, I knew they ran big so I opted to size down. I'm glad I did because it's the perfect fit for my small waist. I love that this dress is so fitted on the top half of the body and then scoops out for the timeless swing-style skirt. The gathering on the bust is such a lovely touch and that's one of the things Pink Clove do so well, they really take pride in their attention to detail. I would wear this style of dress anytime of the year and it can easily be dressed up or down with just a little adjustment in footwear and accessories.

The straps are thick and although there's no zip, the material is so stretchy (96% Polyester 4% Elastane) you can wiggle into it with no trouble at all. The dress also came with a belt but I actually love the look without it. There was a time when you wouldn't see me without a belt, but because this dress is so well fitted it really wasn't necessary. This is now my third Pink Clove dress and I have no doubt I'll be adding to that collection many more times.

'til next time.

Love and hugs,

Isha

xxx

KEY: Symbol ^ denotes an item no longer available.

On The Run

No this isn't me confessing to a heinous crime, this is about doing something I've wanted to do for a while but was too lazy to do. I've started to run....well, I say run, but at the moment it's more of a snail paced jog, but I'm getting there.......slowly. 

Now I know there is an automatic assumption that when someone talks about fitness it must mean they want to loose weight, but for me it couldn't be further from the truth. As many other bloggers have said in the past (and in much better ways than I ever could), you can be fat and fit! I have no intention to loose weight but my fitness is appalling and I want to be able to do basic active things in life without collapsing into a heap. My issue has always been motivation. In the past I have tried and failed to keep myself going in regards to fitness so I knew I needed a goal I could aim towards with the knowledge that failure just wasn't an option. I decided that goal was to do the 5k Electric Run. I went onto their main website after donating last year and it's basically a huge night rave with lots of music, lights, and people in costumes having the best time. It's a fun run but for serious and noble causes so I signed myself up! 

But before I get there I need to train and this is my training gear. Now I know this is slightly unorthodox, but I can't bare jogging bottoms or any other kind of trouser-type garment, so I decided I was going to wear a dress. Not an impractical dress, but a dress that would do the best job for exercising in. This dress is cotton with 3% spandex, it's super soft, absorbent, light and exactly what I need to feel comfortable while I run. I think that's the most important thing for me because if I'm too self conscience about how I'm looking or feeling inside, it would totally detract from the matter at hand.

Dress: Gifted by Dani

Leggings: Marks and Spencer

Fleece: Marks and Spencer

Top: Love Label (via Very)^

These amazing leggings are from Marks and Spencer. They're so breathable being 95% cotton, and with 5% elastane for the thick waistband, I don't feel restricted at all. The top over the dress is cute because it brings a bit of colour to an otherwise bland outfit (you know how I feel about all black) and although I'm not one for slogans, I really like the Electric Avenue statement and think it's apt for why I am running in the first place. The fleece is also from Marks and Spencer and I love that it's warm and cosy with zip pockets! I've found zip pockets to be my saviour as I can carry around my keys and phone with me. Although I really like this fleece, I'm currently on the the hunt for one with a hood because I'll definitely want to bundle up a bit more as the weather gets colder.

Underneath I'm wearing the sports bra of dreams: the Panache sports bra. I'm yet to read a bad review of this bra and I now know why - it's brilliant! I feel secure without feeling like I'm in bondage which is perfect when you have a large bosom. The bra is underwired, the cups are full and give great cover, the straps are wide to give extra support and there is also a three tier hook so I feel nothing but held in and free to run like the wind. It's perfect.

Sports Bra: Panache (via Simply Be)

The trainers! I was looking for cheap trainers that could also still hold up once I eventually start to run vigorously, but I didn't want ridiculously expensive trainers from the usual brands. I instead headed over to Simply Be to see if they had any other brands I could turn to. Body Star were a brand I had never heard of, but when I saw these beauties I didn't hesitate in ordering them, and I think you can guess why. POLKA DOTS! Who knew you could find fabulous trainers with polka dots?! Again, I was going to get them regardless but it certainly helped that they had great reviews on the Simply Be website. I'm not normally one for reading reviews but I felt it was important for this purpose. These trainers have to last throughout training and for the run itself so I needed to know they would be reliable and sturdy. They come in wide fit so are really comfortable and I feel steady on my feet. It just goes to show, you don't need to spend a months rent for a pair of good trainers!

Trainers: Body Star (via Simply Be)

I feel happy bouncing along in this outfit and whoever said you can't have style while exercising, was a liar.

Back to the run itself, I'm doing the Electric Run for Breast Cancer Care. It's such a wonderful cause and I'm in the process of properly setting up my Just Giving page, for donations. My begging and pleading will officially start next year but I’ll probably do another post with a fitness update and a link to my page. I can't wait for May and you can follow my progress predominantly on my Instagram page, but again, there will be an update or two on the blog too :)

'til next time.

Love and hugs,

Isha

xxx

KEY: Symbol ^ denotes an item no longer available. 

Hidden In The Ocean

The title is pretty apt as this dress was found in the dredges of my wardrobe when I was packing all those months ago, but also because of the colour. The reason why I didn't wear this gem until now was because there was a hideous net-type thingy underneath the lining and I didn't know how to cut it out

without ruining it. I thought about selling it but I still really loved the dress so grabbed my scissors and started cutting, and thankfully there was no damage whatsoever.

Dress: ASOS^

Cardigan: South (via Very)^

Leggings: South (via Very)

Shoes: Dorothy Perkins^

You're not really able to tell in the pictures but this dress is shorter than I'd normally wear as I never used to be a fan of things above the knee; one because I'm a 40s/50s vixen so the dresses I normally wear fit with that era, and two, because climbing stairs and having everyone see everything isn't my idea of a good time. Having said that, I've found that as I've gotten older my hem lines are getting slightly shorter and I think this is also to do with having a better relationship with my body in general. I just feel more confident and find myself caring less and less about what I'm not "supposed" to show, but instead just wearing whatever the heck I want. I've never felt more comfortable in my skin.

I love the print as it reminds me of the ocean (I will forever be a mermaid living on land). The dress is well fitted at the top and the skirt has a lovely fullness to it which allows the vintage girl in me to smile. A great dress that'll look fab with chunky boots and thick tights - a girl needs variety!

'til next time.

Love and hugs,

Isha

xxx

KEY: The symbol ^ denotes an item no longer available.